Prairie County, Montana

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.5 | 1,112 people · 23rd most distressed in Montana
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Prairie County, MT falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.5 — 1862nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Montana, it ranks 23rd of 56 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Prairie County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 66.8 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 66.8
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 95
Business Formation Rate 95
Income & Poverty 59.8
Poverty Rate 48
Income vs. State Median 78
Child Poverty Rate 53
Housing Cost Burden 46.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 9
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 79
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 7
Homeownership Rate 40
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Community Vulnerability 41.3
Uninsured Rate 26
Disability Rate 57
Debt & Delinquency 18.4
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 33
Student Loan Delinquency 19
Auto Loan Delinquency 16
Credit Card Delinquency 16
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 21

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Prairie County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Prairie County
Prairie County, MT 46.5 Normal —
Custer County, MT 51.6 Elevated +5.1
Garfield County, MT 47.8 Normal +1.4
Wibaux County, MT 46.7 Normal +0.2
Dawson County, MT 43.3 Normal -3.1
McCone County, MT 38.1 Normal -8.4
Fallon County, MT 31.8 Healthy -14.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Prairie County
Deuel County, NE 46.4 Normal -0.0
McMullen County, TX 46.4 Normal -0.1
Jefferson County, NE 46.4 Normal -0.1
Highland County, VA 46.3 Normal -0.1
King and Queen County, VA 46.6 Normal +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Prairie County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Prairie County

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State Bar of Montana Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Montana Lawyer Referral Service 406-442-7660

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Prairie County residents at no cost.

Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) 1-800-666-6899

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Prairie County, Montana?

    Prairie County has a County Distress Index score of 46.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,862nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 23rd in Montana out of 56 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Prairie County?

    The primary driver of distress in Prairie County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 66.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Prairie County compare to neighboring counties?

    Prairie County (46.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Custer County, MT (51.6); Garfield County, MT (47.8); Wibaux County, MT (46.7).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Prairie County?

    Prairie County, Montana has a population of approximately 1,112 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.